Barbil: Police cracked the sensational murder case of Orissa Minerals Development Company (OMDC) staff Dusasan Barik in Barbil.

Although the per preliminary investigation indicated that the OMDC employee was killed over property dispute, the police investigation revealed that contract killers, who had received money from Dusasan Barik to eliminate the latter's nephew (sister's son), shot him dead near Damu Hutting under Barbil police limits late on April 7 night.

During the probe, Barbil police arrested three accused persons including property broker identified as Sahadat Khan (26), who was associate of the deceased. Two others accused were Md Raza alias Nihal Khan (29), the contract killer who had supplied the pistols, and Shah Rukh Khan (26). All are from the Barakat Nagar area. Another accused person identified as Warish Khan is still at large.

According to reports, the relationship between Dusasan and his sister was not cordial for which the former was not able to sell his property. Sahadat Khan, who was the close associate of Dusasan, had assured the latter to resolve the issue.

The duo plotted to kill Dusasan's nephew for which they hired contract killers for Rs 5 lakh.

"The date and venue were fixed for the murder and Dusasan made a deal to give advance amount of Rs 2 lakh. As per their plan, the property broker Sahadat called Dusasan late on April 7 night. While Dusasan had already paid Rs 40,000 in advance, he was to pay remaining advance money on the fateful night. As Dusasan failed to pay the rest amount, reacting to it the contract killers, who were in inebriated state, opened firing at the former," the Barbil police IIC Pramodini Sahu in a press meet.

She said that the absconding accused will be nabbed very soon in the case.

On April 8 morning, Dusasan Barik of Dalaki slum and a staff of OMDC at Thakurani was found with bullet injuries on his head behind a transmission tower in Barbil town of Keonjhar district. The prima facie suggested that he was shot from point blank range.

Police started investigation following a complaint by the deceased person's son at Barbil Police Station.